The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has refuted media reports that over 100 PDP members from Igalamela Odolu Local Government Area had defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
Attai Ndanusa Salifu, the PDP Chairman in Igalamela Odolu Local Government, revealed this in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday morning.
Salifu claimed that the alleged members received by Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello at the Government House were stage-managed, and that no member of his Local Government joined the APC.
He urged the public to disregard such a report, emphasizing that “it is the work of mischief makers who are afraid of the popularity of the PDP ahead of the November Governorship election in Kogi State.”
According to him, PDP Ajaka Ward 1 Chairman Anthony Abu and his Ward 2 counterpart, Achema Amodu, had since received an apology from one of the party’s members, Ndah Salifu, who claimed they were duped into going to the Government House by some desperate APC politicians.
“Some members of our party from Igalamela Odolu Local Government were on their way to the PDP Secretariat in Lokoja for an official political meeting.”
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“Just as we see ourselves as brothers, some APC members called for dialogue in the interest of the Local Government and Kogi State in general.”
“Regardless of their political affiliation, they heeded the clarion call.” Surprisingly, when they arrived at the government house, those desperate APC politicians took them to Governor Bello, telling him that these were PDP members who defected from Igalamela Odolu Local Government to the APC. Even the PDP chairman of Ajaka 1 and 2 were taken aback by this development.
“They felt betrayed because that was never their intention when they were invited to the Government House by their APC brothers.” The PDP is still a formidable force in Igalamela-Odolu Local Government.”
Salifu stated that the PDP was still committed to Senator Dino Melaye and his running mate, Hajia Habiba Deen, taking over Lugard House on November 11, 2022.
According to him, the PDP will win overwhelmingly in the Local Government elections to save Kogi State from the ruling APC’s alleged mismanagement.
